Sunday, December 7, 2014

Pressing on, my affection for this dwarven lady
grows. The road to Olgrave is long and treacherous. My rowing
bloodlust is sated many times over against a variety of strange
creatures. A brief rest in the village of Caraheb and once agai we are
off. The days journey brings us upon a truly awe inspiring sight. Huge
metal warriors frozen on the field of battle. Later I would learn that
this place is known as the Frozen Battlefield of the Metal Gods.
Admiration and wonder were cut short as we were confronted by a small
army of driders demanding outrageous tribute for passage. I gladly
would have fought them all my companions, however, decided to flee and
find other passage. Not wanting to fall too far behind, I followed.
On our detour, we were quickly set upon by a band of hobgoblin
slavers. They were no match for our hearty band and victory was swiftly
claimed. On the road, we found the wreckage of a familiar wagon. It
seems Cog the Dwarf from Ongas met a tragic fate here. It does not take
long to discover what did him in. From the shadows, a margoyle
attacks. Having never seen one in person, my bravado nearly failed.
The battle was long and difficult, a true fight for our lives. Weary
from both travel and battle, we arrived at the Fortress of Sorrows, the
keep which would allow us passage to Olgrave. The men of the garrison
here were familiar with my reputation and after our defeat of the
margoyle, they were happy to let my companions and I in and share food
and drink as we traded stories. Once in Olgrave, our party
grew smaller. The crazy druid Zee left us to study at the temple of
Fidoe and my dwarven love reunited with her caravan. As we explored, we
were accosted by a group of orphans begging us to look into the
disappearances of some of their friends. Due to the soft hearts of some
of my friends, we accepted and soon found ourselves in the sewers near
where the children went missing. After facing weasels, bats, fire
beetles and lurkers, we found ourselves at the mouth of a great pit
which is clearly the one used by the followers of Abaddon for
sacrifices. Fearing the worst, we press ever deeper. Our path
is blocked by cultists who appear to have no faces but they are the
least of our worries. Upon death, strange eight legged creatures burst
from the corpses of the cultists. They are quite unsettling in
appearance. Once past the foul creatures, we got our first glimpse of
the pit proper which is filled with tentacles, eyes, and claws. There
was a raised drawbridge but we could find no mechanism to lower it.
Searching for alternate passage, we happened upon an old priest who said
he knew the secret to the bridge. Disguising ourselves as cultists, we
are able to make our way across only to encounter another puzzle. A
floor maze takes up an entire chamber and must be properly navigated to
avoid a horrible fate. On the other side, we are met with the
terrifying sight of a giant devil toad. The old priest fell in battle
with this hideous beast and I nearly joined him. Once again I heard the
songs of my ancestors for a brief moment but was able to move on.
Beyond the toad, more cultists and strange eight legged creatures
awaited. We made our way into the depths and found a group of
frail slaves operating some sort of infernal machine. After freeing
them, we found ourselves in what was some sort of underground temple to
the demon Polybdybus. Due to an encounter with a strange potion I was
shown the 666 planes of the Abyss and fear that a connection with this
particular demon will follow me always. Exhausted and battle
weary, we faced a constant stream of cultists. Each one stronger and
with greater power. It would seem the townsfolk were not kidding when
they said the pit was never ending. Eventually reaching the
bottom level of the pit, we found a vile, ancient ritual in progress.
Interrupting the ritual and whatever spell was being cast caused massive
tentacles to rise and writhe from the pit. The blindly lashing
tentacles proved to be a great aid in the ensuing battle helping to
vanquish the cultists. All was not well though. As the cult leader
died, the tentacled beast which appeared as large as the city above died
with him. The monsters death throes brought down the walls of the
underground chamber and before it was still, half of the city had fallen
into the great pit. Rejoined by Zee, we followed the refugees
from the city and, with Jubals treasure map as a guide, set out for the
town of Nornrik.

After a fairly uneventful journey where we learned
a bit about each other, my companions and I happened upon the village
of Hirot and a young woman staked out as bait for someone or something
called "The Hound". Deciding it was best not to interfere, we trekked
on into the village for some much needed food and sleep. Mistaking us
for hunters come to kill the hound, the locals gave us a history lesson.
We learned of the founding of the village, of the great Ulfhoenar, and
of the lottery that chose the hound's victims. It seemed that only the
poor were ever chosen. This injustice needed to be stopped so we vowed
to seek and destroy the hound the very next day. In the local
chapel, Zee(the Druid) saw a sacred hammer that she just had to procure.
A night raid was planned. Nothing went according to that plan. As we
were about to give in and call it a night, the fool Druid grabbed the
hammer and ran. Naturally this set off alarms and called out the night
watch leading to a scuffle. We were separated during our escape with
only a couple of us making it outside the village gate. Once
reunited, we headed off in search of the hound and a weapon that might
kill it. In the tomb of the Ulfhoenar, we found not only the weapon but
the dead King himself. Dispatching the Ulfhoenar was no easy feat. I
nearly paid another visit to that great hall of fallen warriors. It was
also in this tomb that I would meet what would become my best friend,
the noble sword Flame Tongue who fights by my side to this very day.
Taking little time to recover, we set out for the lair of the
hound. The beast was no typical dog or wolf. It possessed some sort of
magic that allowed it to transform into a dark mist and vanish at will.
This combined with it's vicious teeth and claws made it a formidable
opponent. Once again I was nearly introduced to the maker prematurely.
The great hound fought us hard but finally fell and we returned to
Hirot as conquering heroes. After a few days of rest and
recovery, with full purses as well, we once again took to the road. I
left Hirot in the company of a lovely Dwarven lass.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

The old drifter spit tobacco juice between my feet. "Mark my words boy" he drawled "The world ain't what it used to be. Things are different now and gettin' weirder everyday. If you don't toughen up, you might as well just go into that field over yonder and dig you a cozy little six by six hole cause you'll be needin' it sooner rather than later." He laughed then. Not a happy, joyous sound. A haunting alomost wicked laugh. Then he climbed into his battered pick up and rode off down the long dirt road into the mountains.

I once stood on the shoulders of a giant
I could see my house from there
The view was glorious
I wanted to take a picture
I dropped my phone and it shattered on the rocks
The giant laughed
He's dead now

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Recently discovered in the ruins beneath the ruins of what was once the
great civilization of Serus Arx comes a rare glimpse into an ancient
time when the sun was red and Dearth nearly died.

The Many Deaths of Jericho SteelExcerpt 1

As a fighter since birth and a soldier, I was no stranger to the
horrors of death. After the loss of both my brother and my left eye, I
thought I had seen it all. Even the darkest Kaijani trickery could not
have prepared me for the things I would encounter as I set out to seek
my fortune and spread my legacy. After a few days on the road, I
stopped to rest and resupply in the town of Ongas. It was an exciting
day in Ongas. A child had been born that day. A special child according
to those in the local tavern. One who could change the world. I don't
know about that, but the boy certainly had a hand in shaping my destiny.
Further excitement was stirred when an old man stumbled into the
tavern raving about a mysterious portal that would open in the mountains
on that very night. This seemed to pique the interest of a few fellow
travellers as well as myself. When a small group set out, I followed at
a safe distance preferring my own company and not being overly trusting
of strangers. Reaching the prophesied spot, there appeared to
be a triangular tear in the scenery. The travellers approached and
entered and it was then I chose to reveal and enter with them so as not
to miss my chance at fortune and glory. If only I had known then what I
know now, i would have stayed in the tavern and gotten blind drunk.
Well, half blind anyway. Entering the portal, I found myself in
the company of an Elf, a young Wizard, a Halfling and a Druid. over
time, we would become brothers in arms but this night we were strangers.
The portal was like nothing I had ever seen with walls that looked
like stars and glowing jewels set in the doors. It wasn't long before
we were set upon by a group of odd metal soldiers and a sort of giant
living statue that shot alien fire from its single eye. The soldiers
were easily dispatched thanks to my skill. The giant, however, was a
problem. As each of us tried desperately not to fry, the Halfling
proved clever and with a bit of tinkering and the help of an Elven
arrow, the giant was returned to its slumber. Deep inside the
confusing structure we encountered the demon snake Sisssaurrraggg.
Instinct took over and I leapt into action as any warrior would. I was
determined to vanquish this foul beast. Perhaps I acted too hastily. I
soon found myself trapped in the creatures maw. Fangs pierced my
chest. Venom filled my body. I thrashed and fought and tried to stab
the demon with my sword, but it was no use. Soon as I was standing at
the door to the great hall full of warriors who had gone before me.
Even my father and brother were there to greet me. Just as we were
about to share a forgiving embrace, I was awakened with a sharp gasping
breath that may have sounded to some like a scream of agony. I found
myself again in the portal still trapped in the mouth of the giant snake
which now lay dead. The demon appeared to have been guarding an
elaborate throne. Upon my extraction from the jaws of Sisssaurrraggg, I
naturally took my rightful place upon said throne. Once
seated, I along with he others am treated to astonishing visions. A
golden warrior appears claiming to be Timothy the newborn from the town.
He tells us that we are destined to save Dearth. That we must journey
to Serus Arx and seek the Wyvern. He is interrupted by a destructive
demon warrior known as the Revenant. An agent of Appolyon. He has been
sent to stop us from fulfilling the destiny that Timothy has just
explained. This future Timothy sacrifices himself in an attempt to hold
off the Revenant long enough for us to escape the portal.
Outside, in relative safety, none of us can quite comprehend what we
have just experienced. We all agree that Timothy's claims bear further
investigation. We band together and set out for Serus Arx in search of
our destiny.

About Me

Semi-Professional Slacker
Retired Dreamer
Puncher of Walls
Teller of Stories
Slayer of Dragons
Dark Lord of the Laundry Room
King of the Kitchen
Good for Nothing
Up For Anything
Adventurer
Explorer
Creator
Problem Solver
Lover
Fighter
Thinker
Champion of Literacy
Questioner of Authority
Seeker of Truth
Lover of Hidden Beauty
Friend of the Monkey
Warrior Soul in a Walrus Body
Legend in my Own Mind